These delicious and healthy Raspberry Ricotta and Yogurt Parfaits are made with creamy ricotta cheese and Greek yogurt for a healthy, lower sodium, high protein breakfast or snack with a sinfully rich cheesecake-like texture! Meal prep them so you can enjoy them all week long! If you love ricotta you'll also love these Fruity Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Toasts.
Nutrition Notes: Ricotta vs. Cottage Cheese
Believe it or not, I'm not a huge fan of cottage cheese. You might find that surprising coming from a me, a dietitian. Although cottage cheese has it's place in certain recipes, like my Haluski recipe, I prefer using ricotta over cottage cheese. Aside from flavor differences, here's why I prefer ricotta over cottage cheese:
- Cottage cheese is higher in sodium per serving when compared with ricotta cheese. Although I've heard that certain brands make low sodium options, I haven't been able to find them easily at the supermarket.
- Ricotta has more calcium per serving than cottage cheese. That's always a win, especially for women concerned about bone health.
- Ricotta may have slightly less protein per serving than cottage cheese, (8 gms vs 12 gms respectively), but it contains comparable amounts of potassium and phosphorous to cottage cheese. Increasing potassium in the diet has been shown to help reduce blood pressure. So, if you are concerned with high blood pressure, this is another reason why ricotta could be a better option.
The addition of Greek yogurt to this particular recipe helps to boost its protein content without excess sodium.
How To Assemble A Raspberry Parfait
These healthy parfaits are made with simple ingredients and are super easy to assemble.
- Mix the ricotta and plain yogurt together in a small bowl. Add honey or maple syrup to sweeten slightly (this is up to your personal taste preference).
- In a separate bowl, smash the fresh raspberries to create a jam like consistency.
- Layer your parfait glass or small mason jar with a layer of ricotta yogurt mixture, smashed raspberries and crunchy granola and repeat to create your parfait.
- I crush up some freeze dried berries and sprinkle them over top. This not only looks gorgeous it amplifies the berry flavor even more. You can also use fresh mint and even some fresh lemon zest to garnish. The more flavor, the better!
Parfait Topping Variations
- Make this recipe with ANY FRESH FRUIT! Fresh berries like blueberries, strawberries and even mango and pineapple would be delicious!
- Don't have fresh fruit on hand, use raspberry jam instead.
- Add some chia seeds, flax seeds for healthy omega-3's fats.
- Use different types of granola to change the flavor profile of the parfait. You could even use your favorite cereal.
These parfaits make a wonderful healthy dessert and are a great addition to a healthy eating plan that includes a variety of plant-based foods. They're even pretty enough to serve for a special occasion brunch or gathering.
Try my delicious and popular Pineapple Yogurt Popsicles too!
Healthy Raspberry Ricotta and Yogurt Parfaits
Equipment
- 2 small glass jars with lids big enough to hold 1.5 cups each
Ingredients
- 1 cup part skim ricotta
- 1 cup plain non-fat, unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey to sweeten, as desired
- ½ cup raspberries mashed
- ½ cup whole raspberries
- ½ cup granola
- 1 teaspoon crushed freeze dried raspberries or strawberries
- mint to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta and yogurt with the honey.
- In a separate small bowl mash the raspberries with a fork to create a jam-like consistency.
- *See notes below first if meal prepping. Add the ricotta yogurt mixture half-way up the jar, then layer with the smashed raspberries and granola. Top with more of the ricotta yogurt mix. Add the fresh berries, and sprinkle on extra granola and freeze-dried berries.
- Repeat with the remaining jar. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
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Nutrition
I prefer to focus on quality ingredients from a variety of sources that work in tandem to promote optimal health. Nutrition calculations may not reflect these valuable interactions. However, I understand certain values can be helpful to some. Please note these calculations are merely estimates. Values will vary depending on modifications, brands used, and portion size. Should you require specific information, it's best to consult with a dietitian or qualified healthcare provider.
John C says
How do I make sure the ricotta is not grainy? I want it to be as smooth as possible. Any advice would be appreciated!
Donna Castellano, MS, RDN says
Hi John, in this recipe the ricotta is stirred together with the Greek yogurt in a separate bowl. This helps to smooth out the texture. Alternatively, you could pulse the mixture in a food processor first creating more of a whipped ricotta consistency. Hope that helps! 🙂 Donna